TROUT. 



CHAPTER III. 



TROUT. 



E Trout is next in importance to the Salmon in the 

 piscatory world ; in the rivers of the Midland Counties, 

 the average weight of the Trout is from one to two 

 ^__ pounds, more being taken under than over that weight : 

 the color, shape and quality of the fish varying according to 

 the water it inhabits. An intelligent and sagacious individual, 

 he carefully avoids thick or dirty waters, and revels in the 

 clear mountain stream, calling forth the utmost efforts of the 

 ingenuity and skill of the Angler ere he becomes his captive. 

 When in full season, observe his fascinating and prepossessing 

 figure, sparkling in all the gorgeous colors of the rainbow, and 

 shaped in strict accordance with the most refined rules of sym- 

 metrical proportion. Look at the reverse of the picture, and 

 see him out of condition, and the contrast is wonderful. A 

 thin black wretched-looking creature, with a head apparently 

 too large for his body, who that has not seen him in both 

 conditions, would believe that this was the nice and fastidious 

 exquisite who charmed our senses with his every movement ? 



Allusion has been made as yet, only to the ordinary river 

 Trout ; but there are other varieties, such as the sea-trout, 

 bull-trout, lake-trout, and the large Thames-trout. This latter 

 grows to an extremely large size, and although an occasional 

 one or two may be taken with a fly, yet the great majority 

 are taken with the spinning-bait ; one was taken in Marlow 

 Weirpool, May llth, 1863, weighing fifteen pounds, which 

 was preserved and may be seen at the Anglers, Marlow Bridge ; 

 and I believe there are others in the neighbourhood of even 

 larger size. 



Trout spawn about October or November, the law allowing 

 them to be taken, in the Thames, after the end of January ; 



